August 13, 1979: Lou Brock Joins The 3,000 Hit Club

     On August 13, 1979, in a game against the Cubs, in front of a packed house at Busch Stadium, Lou Brock became the 14th player in the history of Major League Baseball to record 3,000 hits. The 40-year-old legend of the diamond came into the contest two hits shy of the magic number, and he moved one step closer with a first inning single. The epic moment came with a leadoff infield single in the fourth that deflected off of the Cubs starter Dennis Lamp. The game was stopped as the St. Louis crowd chanted "Lou" over and over again, while he was surrounded by teammates who celebrated the milestone by his side. Brock was only the second man to record 3,000 hits with the Birds on the Bat on his chest, with the first being Stan Musial who joined him on the field as the game was stopped. Brock stayed in the game through the top of the fifth, before being replaced with a pinch hitter in the bottom of the frame. He was also treated to a win in the bottom of the ninth, when his teammate Garry Templeton came up with a game winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Cardinals a 3-2 victory on one of the very special days in the career of Lou Brock.

     The '79 season was the last season that Brock spent on the major league diamond. The man who was best known for his base thievery was sitting on 929 stolen bases that August day, and he would snag nine more bags to bring his career totals to 938. He cranked out 23 more hits after reaching 3,000. 2,713 of those hits came in a Cardinals uniform. It only seems appropriate that 3,000 came against the club that sent him to the Gateway City in 1964. The 16 years that followed that trade were 16 years of legendary achievements. One of those achievements came on this day in 1979.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197908130.shtml

August 12, 1946: Stan The Man Tears It Up

     On August 12, 1946, Stan "The Man" Musial led the way to a 5-0 victory over the Cubs in Chicago with a 4 for 4 performance, which included two RBIs. The Cardinals hurler Al Brazle helped the cause by turning in a  three-hit pitching gem as he locked down the complete game shutout, but the true story was Musial's hot bat. One day earlier the team played a doubleheader in Cincinnati, and "The Man" went 4 for 5 in each of the games. The Birds took the first tilt 15-4, before Musial led the way to a 7-3 victory in the doubleheader sweep. Musial's first game of that doubleheader included three singles, a triple, and a ribbie, while the second game included a double, and a home run. After the team got done playing ball the next day in the Windy City "The Man" had recorded 12 hits in 14 trips to the plate.

     Musial had been one of the best outfielders in the game before he left the club to serve his country in 1945. When he returned he shifted to first base, which some might have thought would have been a difficult transition for the 25-year-old. That was not the case. In large part because Musial embraced the move. He went on to lead the league in  runs scored with 124, doubles with 50, triples with 20, slugging percentage with .587, and his .365 average led the league as well. The totals earned Musial his second MVP award, and it led the Cardinals to a National League Pennant, and a World Series championship. 1946 was one great year for "The Man." There were many great years to come, before he announced that his days on the diamond would be coming to an end. It just so happened that announcement came on this same date in 1963. I wrote about that day for my On This Day In Sports page today. Please read it if you get the chance. I will be sure to share it later today as well.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194608120.shtml

August 11, 1970: Carl Taylor Walk Off Slam

     On August 11, 1970, Carl Taylor hit a walk off pinch hit grand slam in the bottom of the ninth at Busch to give the Cardinals an improbable 11-10 victory over the visiting Padres.

     Down 8-1 headed into the bottom of the seventh, I would imagine that some of the reported 16,734 fans were either making their way home, or were on their way to their favorite watering hole when the comeback began to mount. The Birds scored two in the seventh, three in the eighth to close the gap to 8-6, then watched the Friars score two in the top of the ninth that pushed the deficit back up 10-6. Things weren't looking good, but as you and I know, just like the players in the dugouts, the final out must be recorded for a game to be put in the books.

     While the high fives were flying in the visitors dugout, the Birds were getting ready to ruin their day. Joe Hague led the bottom of the inning off with a single off of Ron Willis. Hague was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Dick Allen, before Joe Torre reached with his fourth hit of the day. Jose Cardenal took off an 0 for 3 collar by rapping a single that brought Allen trotting in, and in turn it sent Willis to the showers. With the score now 10-7, and just one out the Birds were in business.

     The Birds had started a fire, and the Padres skipper Preston Gomez called on Ron Herbel to put that fire out. The reliever was able to pick up the second out of the inning when he got Mike Shannon to hit into a fielder's choice, but then he walked shortstop Eddie Crosby. The bases were loaded, the pitcher was on deck, and Red Schoendienst made a move of his own by calling on the man who wore the 44 on his back to pinch hit.Taylor stepped to the dish, pounced on the second pitch and gave it a ride over the left field wall. Those fans that chose to stay were treated to an epic comeback that ended with the best home runs of them all. A grand slam walk off winner.

     Taylor spent just one season in St. Louis. In a lot of stories about him he was often referred to as "Boog Powell's stepbrother", which he was. Carl's mom married Boog's dad when Carl was just seven-years-old. Boog was nine at the time. The both grew up together, and even played on a team together that reached the little league World Series. While they both made it to the bigs, Powell's time in the big leagues is much more storied.The older brother was in Baltimore en route to an AL MVP award while the little brother was swinging the stick for the Birds during that 1970 season.

     That grand slam that Taylor hit at Busch Stadium was the first grand slam of his major league career, and an overjoyed Taylor later said it was more than that. In the postgame interviews he said "It's gotta be the biggest thrill I ever had, because this won the ball game." He went onto say "Heck, it's my first grand slam ever, even in little leagues."

     Taylor hit just 10 home runs during a big league career that spanned from 1968 to 1973, and only one of those was a walk off shot, and only one of those was a grand slam. While he did play a few more years that walk off grand slam proved to be his last major league home run. He had the distinction of hitting his first and last home run off the same pitcher, as Ron Herbel put them on the platter. Not sure how many players have done that, but I would bet it is a handful at best.

     Carl never did achieve the legendary status that his brother Boog did in Baltimore. If Carl would have hit 329  more home runs he would have tied his older brother he would have tied Boog. It just didn't work out that way. With that said, Carl did achieve what most men can only dream of. He stepped on the big league diamond as Major League Baseball player. He might not have achieved all of his hopes and dreams on that diamond, but I would bet ya that when that grand slam sailed over the wall in left there was one dream checked off the list.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.cgi?id=ruthba01&t=b

August 10, 1944: Cooper and Kurowski Lead The Birds To The Win Column

     On August 10, 1944, Mort Cooper led the way with his arm, and Whitey Kurowski led the way with his bat during a 2-0 win at Sportsman's Park. Cooper's complete game performance led to his 15th victory of the campaign, while Kurowski's second inning two run blast was his 13th of the year. The two players would lead the clubs in wins and dingers. Cooper with 22 wins, and Kurowski with 20 big flies. The two players efforts, along with the rest of the men on the roster were instrumental in the club's success that ended with a World Series championship, which came against the hometown Browns who the Cardinals defeated in six games.

     That day those Browns were in New York beating the Yankees, which extended a winning streak to a season's best 10 games. I used the 10 game streak by the Browns as a fact for On This Day In Sports today, and after writing it I thought why not see what the Cards did that day to intertwine the two. This weekend might have been a tough one for the Birds, but I thought since we were playing that club who used to call themselves the Browns it would make it interesting. As a person who loves the history of not only the Cardinals, but the city of St. Louis as a whole, I often think about how great that had to have been to have two pennant winning clubs in the city. It had to be something. That's for sure.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194408100.shtml

August 9, 1934: There Was Dizzy, There Was Daffy, There Was Elmer The Great

     On August 9, 1934, Elmer "The Great" Dean decided selling peanuts in St. Louis was not for him. The oldest brother of Dizzy and Paul had been talked into coming to the big city by his brothers and given a job by the club. He had sold peanuts for a Cardinals minor league affiliate in Houston called the Buffaloes before he made the trip to the Mound City, and he quickly realized that it was not for him.

     The story of Elmer Dean is an interesting one. He had dreams of making it on the big league diamond, but that never came to be. With that said, his tale is one that should be told, because even though his time in Cardinal Nation was short, he too has his place amongst the great tales from the past.

     Like his brothers, Elmer's date of birth came with question mark. There was a time where that it was not all that unusual, as birth records were not kept in the same way that they are today. What we do know is he was the first brother in the Dean clan of three. There was a time when the siblings were growing up that they had gotten separated while the Dean's were traveling through Texas working the cotton fields. It was several years before someone asked Elmer if they knew of this pitcher that called himself Dizzy who was pitching for Houston. He showed him a newspaper clipping of his younger brother, and Elmer went to Houston where they were reunited. Dizzy got him a job slingin peanuts and drinks, which was far better than the job he had been working at on a farm where he had been making ten cents a day. It was said when Elmer wasn't at the ballpark he loved riding elevators in the office buildings around Houston. It was his only vice.

   Elmer did try his hand at the sport that was going to make his brothers famous. He claimed that everything they knew was taught to them by him. However, his did not have that natural abilities, but he sure thought he did. In 1935, Lon Warneke of the Chicago Cubs watched Elmer during a pitching school in Houston. Warneke told him to ease off on the way he was throwing a bit, but the ever defiant Dean brother told the pro that he was just as good a pitcher as his brothers, and he had never had a sore arm. He also claimed he had a screwball that was better than Warneke's. It's safe to say that was not true since Warneke spent 15 years in the big leagues,which included a no-hitter as a member of the Cardinals in 1941. One of the funnier things that came out of the pitching session with Warneke is Elmer tried to deny the fact that he was a peanut vendor when it was well documented. He was a pitcher in his own mind that day.

     While Dean did join the House of David baseball team in 1936 he never did make it as a professional. The House of David was a bearded club that barnstormed around the United States during the first half of the 20th century. It is speculation on my part, but with a familiar name like Dean on their club it might have helped sell a few tickets. By 1937 he was back in Houston sellin peanuts, and cracker jacks, while helpin fans not care if they ever got back. By all accounts the fans their enjoyed him, and it seemed like he had a good relationship with them as well.

     The information about the eldest Dean brother is scarce. There was a small window where his name grabbed quite a few headlines, but that window closed. It was reported by the Sporting News that he passed away on September 24th of 1956 at the estimated age of 47. The small article that was printed about his death said he had worked as a farmer later in life. I have often heard Paul referred to as "the other Dean." There was another Dean as well. His name was Elmer. He was part of Cardinal Nation for just a minute, but during that minute he forever placed himself into the great history of the organization.

August 8, 1961: Boyer Bombs The Reds

     On August 8, 1961, Ken Boyer's second home run of the day came in the bottom of the ninth with one out, and propelled the Cardinals to a dramatic 6-5 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. 

     It was a true battle from beginning to end, as the Cardinals starter Ernie Broglio surrendered a run in the first, before watching the Birds bounce back in the bottom of the inning when Bill White and Boyer connected on back-to-back singles off of Cincy's hurler Bob Purkey. White and Boyer knocked in back-to-back runs in the third with that pair of home runs it gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead, but the ball was not done flying on that day in St. Louis. Broglio served up two big flies in the fifth. The first was hit by Cincinnati's pitcher to leadoff the inning, and the second was a two out blast by Vada Pinson that closed the gap to 4-3. 

     The Redlegs tied it up in the sixth, which proved to be the end of the day for Broglio. He handed the ball to Lindy McDaniel, who watched Charley James knock in a go ahead run in the seventh. McDaniel had gotten the last two outs of the sixth, and was nearly flawless, as he only gave up a hit in the eighth, before he watched pinch hitter Jerry Lynch launch one into the seats to lead off the ninth. McDaniel retired the next three men in succession, but I bet ya he walked to that Cardinals bench feeling a bit down as he had given away the lead. That wouldn't last long, as Boyer stepped to the plate after watching White strike out. Purkey was still on the bump for the Reds, and he was about to help send 17,660 souls home happy, as he served up the pitch to Boyer that The Captain crushed. Adios, goodbye, and see you later. That's a Winner. 

Be sure and check out: https://www.facebook.com/kenboyerbook Kevin McCann is the author writing this upcoming book, and I am excited to see the finsihed product. I consider him a friend, although we have never met. The fact of it is like anybody else that reads this we are friends through a common bond that involves two birds on a bat. He can also be found on twitter at @kenboyerbook I can be found on there @CardinalHistory. 

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196108080.shtml

Pepper and His Race Car

     I was digging around looking for photos of the old Gashouse Gang when stumbled across this gem. According to the book Pepper Martin: A Baseball Biography ole Pepper had this race car built, and dubbed it the "Redbird Special." The book also said it was raced by a professional during the baseball season, but Pepper never drove it on the track, although he did drive it around Oklahoma City, and on his farm as well. When it was raced by the professional, Pepper would often gather up a few teammates like Dizzy Dean, Don Gutteridge, and Frankie Frisch to serve as pit members. If the car stalled they would hop the fence, and either help get it going, or get it out of harms way. When Branch Rickey learned of this he was not pleased, and asked Pepper to sell the car. Martin obliged, but even then another great tale from the days of the Gashouse Gang had been written.